Inside the space navigator

**sama** · 01-19-2007, 05:04 AM

I forget to mention that you can just turn off the LED's from the software. Not as nice as having Amber of course, but certainly nicer than having blue!

This thing is quite compact, but it's amazing how small it becomes when you remove the bulky base.

**guizai** · 02-08-2007, 03:01 AM

Just in case anyone was wondering what was under the Black shiny black piece. Here it is. Mine fell off while being shipped. Think it would be lame if I put a BMW emblem there?

**sama** · 02-08-2007, 04:35 AM

I don't advise that!

**_dopehead_** · 02-08-2007, 08:11 AM

put a Citroen emblem instead, bmw emblem will ruin the design :-)

**MobiTekLink** · 03-12-2007, 11:57 PM

Can you use this as a regular mouse??? I just want it to navigate and left click on the frontend mostly; I have a wireless keyboard if I need something else...
How is the product after a month's use???

**guizai** · 03-15-2007, 12:49 AM

I've got mine working as a mouse. Check out the development threads. inh has a direct link to that post. As a mouse it's pretty hard to use cause it's very sensitive to inputs. Push it to the side and the pointer is off the screen.

**MobiTekLink** · 03-15-2007, 04:06 PM

Hmmm,,, that sucks... Do you know any device that would serve me better? I just need a fancy mouse type trackball thingie for a car. I've looked at the powermate, some trackballs, but I cant find anyone that wants a simple mouse type device. THis things looks awesome but unfortunately you say it sucks as a mouse.

**turbocad6** · 03-15-2007, 05:49 PM

I'm using it as a mouse & it's not bad really... one big problem I see with the navigator is it is impossible to use one axis without "acidently" moving another... some guys are dreaming of using each & every axis for indevidual things but in my opinion it's just not possible, but as a mouse & twist for page up/down, it does the job nicely... the software I'm using is configurable so you can adjust it to be quite usable I think.... I use it every day as a mouse & it's decent...

**MobiTekLink** · 03-15-2007, 09:12 PM

Yeah, Im looking to modify my software as well to do that.
I recently drove the Audi A8L (W12, haha!) and it's MMC system is awesome, it has 4 buttons around the turn-knob and you push to choose. The 4 buttons are for choosing functions like audio, navi, sat radio, and settings (??)
This would be what I would want in the end,, its simplicity was extraordinary.
I think Im gonna concentrate on something similar.

**turbocad6** · 03-15-2007, 09:54 PM

he he, that's kinda what I have in mind too, I've been playing with a lot of OEM systems & learning from there erogonomics....

you wanna see sick, I was playing with an 04 rolls Royce silver spur the other day.... now that's a sleek system... when I first sat in the car I was like "what, no navigation even?" cause you don't see anything... at first..

theres a little chrome knob that you press & the whole center wood bezel with a clock in it rotates to reveal the screen.... then I'm like, "well is it touchscreen? how do you control it?" well theres yet another button & out of the center console comes a knob.... sick system... I like stuff like that for inspiration

A central control center that can do a lot, but all be by feel alone & look aesthetically pleasing & look high end rather than thrown in tacky...

I've used a lot of different things for my central control's through several installs, I've always got the ergonomics down, but the cosmetics are another issue... a mouse & a shuttle isn't exactly elegant & high end looking, no matter how you finish it off

....

I'd say get the navigator, it won't disapoint & is cheap enough that you gotta at least play with it